Railroad car



Aug. 26, 1930. TITREN 1,773,763

RAILROAD CAR Filed Nov. 25, 192'? 4 Sheets-Sheet l mveN'roR Aug. 26, 1930. G, T|TREN I 1,773,763

RAILROAD GAR Filed Nov. L25. 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IIIIIIII llllllll l'NVENTOR 93M 6,. T3 bww Aug. 26 1930. E n-R 1,773,763

RAILROAD CAR Filed Nov. 25, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG j INVENTOR Aug. 26, 1930. G E TITREN 1,773,763

RAILROAD CAR Filed Nov. 25, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR Patented Aug. "26, 1930 m'rao STATES PATENT OFFICE GERALD E. TITREN, OF JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA, A SSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO MIDDLETOWN CAR COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLV'ANIA AND ONE-HALF TO BALDWIN IIOCOMOTIVE WORKS, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD CAR Application filed November 25, 1927. Serial No. 235,449.

. arranged to convey a larger number of automobiles than has heretofore been possible.

A further object is to provide a carcf the 10 type set forth of improved arrangement and novel construction. 7

A still further object is to provide a railroad car for the transportation of automobiles which will be simple and rugged in construction and relatively cheap to manufacture and assemble.

These and other objects which will be apparent to those skilled in this particular art are accomplished by means of,the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an end elevation of a railroad car constructed in accordance with one embodiment of this invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the upper deck members folded back. Fig. 3 is a somewhat diagrammatic side elevation of the railroad car illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a partial plan view of the floor of a railway car constructed in accordance with one embodiment of this invention. Figs. 5 and 6 are views similar to Figs. 1 and 2, respectively, illustrating a somewhat modified construction of a railroad car; and Fig. 7 is a broken side elevation of the car shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

The particular embodiment of this invention which has been chosen for the purposes of illustration consists of a railroad car having the usual load supporting deck or floor of or dinary construction. Above .this deck, a secondload supporting deck is mounted andis, referably, of such form as to permlt its be ng olded back to an out of the way position when not in use. Mechanism is provided on each deck for clamping the automobiles in place against movement during transportation. The arrangement can be embodied in various types of railroad cars. It may include an open sided car without a roof, in which automobiles are protected during transportation by tarpaulins or canvas covers. It may be embodied in a car having closed sides and ends, a tarpaulin cover being used in place of a roof. It may be embodied in a car having a roof of the sliding type, or a light,

hinged roof may be employed. In one form.

of car each deck is provided with a hinged gangway or the like which can be folded against the car so as to close the end thereof and, in effect, form the end wall of the car. Being hinged, theseend Walls may be dropped down so as to form a ramp or runway permittmg easy and rapid removal of the automobiles from the car. Similarly, the side walls of the car may be hinged in such a man ner as to open outwardly and form ramps permitting the automobiles to be run diagonally off the side of the car when desired.

The particular embodiments of the resent invention which have been chosen for t e purposes of illustration include a railroad car having the usual load supporting deck or floor 10 for supporting a number of automobiles in the usual way. Uprights 11 are spaced longitudinally along the sides of the deck, floor or platform 10 and, in the form shown in F 1g. 3, are steadied by braces 12. Inverted T-shapes 13 extend transversely across the car between each pair of oppositely positioned uprightsand the T-shapes are spaced above the lower deck 10 a sufiicient distance to permit cars to be stored on the deck below them.

An upper load supporting deck is formed by rlmways 14 which are hinged along each supporting T-irons so that the runways may either be folded upwardly out of the way, see

Figs. 2 and 5, or can be dropped down on to the supporting Tirons, see Figs. 1, 4 and 6, so asto form an upper, load supporting deck. Crosswise extendin braces 15 may or may not be provided at t e ends of the car between the opposite uprights 11.

Where the automobiles are shipped with their wheels on, they may be held in place by saddle blocks 16 or the like which are clamped across the tops of the motor car axles and secured by chains 17 to clamping blocks 18 fastened to the deck of the car.

When the automobiles are shipped without wheels, a system of adjustable anchorage ion blocks and clamping means is provided for rigidly holding the automobiles against movement. cludes a plurality'of anchorage blocks 19 which are adjustably clamped in position on the decks by means of through-bolts 20 extending through longitudinally extending slots 21 in the deck and transversely extending bolt receiving slots 22 in each "anchor block. Obviously, when the clamping bolt is released the anchor block will be moved longitudinally and transversely of the supporting deck for the purpose of accommodating cars of different wheel base and gauge. Each block has an axle receiving groove 23 in which the ends of the automobile axles are locked by a clamping plate 24 provided with an elongated slot 25 for receiving one ofthe clamping bolts and a second slot 26 opening through one side of the plate for receiving the other clamping bolt. It will be apparent that when the clamping bolts are loosened the axle locking plate 24 can be bodilyshifted outwardly away from the automobile body. When so shifted, it can be rotated about the clamping bolt extending through the closed slot 25 to the axle releasing position shown in the upper right hand corner of Fig. 4 without causing any portion of the locking plate to be projected beyond the inner face of the anchor block, so that no part of the adjacent automobile interferes with such looking and unlocking movement of the axle securing plate. In the form of construction illustrated in Figs. 5 to 7, the upper deck is provided with end walls 27 which are hinged to the adjacent uprights so that they can be dropped outwardly as shown at the right in Fig. 7 to provide an inclined way 27' which will enable the cars of the upper deck to be run off the railroad car and down a movable ramp 28. Each lower deck is also provided with end walls 29 which can be dropped so as to form a runway 29.

Similarly, the upper deck is provided with side walls 30 which are hinged to suitable uprights so that they can be dropped outwardly to provide inclined ways 31' to permit side loading when desirable. Similarly, the side walls 32 of the lower deck are hinged and movable so as to form inclined sideways 33 for side loading of the lower deck.

For protection against weather the upper deck can be covered with a tarpaulin or, it will be apparent that a roof can be employed merely by extending the sides of the car a slight distance upwardly.

It .will also be apparent that the present invention provides a railroad car which is also of general utility, that is, which is also adapted forv the transportation of loads other than automobiles. A larger number of vehicles can be conveyed in a single car than has heretofore been possible and the vehicles can be rapidly loaded or unloaded through the As illustrated, this system inmedium of the inclined ways at the ends and sides of the car.

Although I have described a particular arrangement of the present invention in specific detail, it will be apparent that various changes, additions, substitutions and omissions can be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination in a railroad car for the transportation of automobiles of a loadsupporting deck provided with longitudinally extending slots, means movable along said slots for securing said automobiles in position and means extending through the securing means and slots for clamping said securing means against movement.

2. The combination in a railroad car for the transportation of automobiles of a loadsupporting floor, a grooved axle supporting block adjustable in two directions with relationto said floor and means for clamping said block in position.

3. The combination in a railroad car for the transportation of automobiles of a load supporting deck provided with a longitudinally extending slot, an anchorage block for clamping automobiles in position provided with a transversely extending slot and a looking bolt extending through said slots for clamping said block to said deck.

4. The combination in a railroad car for the transportation of automobiles of a loadsupporting deck, uprights positioned along the edges of said deck, inverted T-arms mounted on said uprights and extending across said car in spaced relation with said deck and a collapsible floor supported on said T-arms' so as to provide an upper load-supporting level.

5. The combination in a railroad car for the transportation of automobiles of a loadsupporting deck, uprights spaced along the edges thereof, inverted T-arms extending transversely across said car between opposite uprights and runways hingedly mounted between each pair of T-arms so as to be supported by said T-arms when in horizontal position to form an upper load-supporting level.

6. The combination in a railroad car for the transportation of automobiles of aloadsupporting deck, uprights spaced along the edges thereof, inverted T-arms extending transversely across said car between opposite uprights and runways hingedly mounted between each pair of T-arms so as to be supported by said T-arms when in horizontal position to form an upper load-supporting level and means associated with each deck for securing automobiles in position thereon.

7. The combination in a railway car for\ transportation of automobiles of a load supporting floor, a plurality of longitudinal slots in said floor, a plurality of anchorage blocks having transversely extending bolt receiving slots, so that said blocks are longitudinally and transversely adjustable with respect to said floor, and clamping bolts positioned in said slots.

8. The combination in a railway car for the p Y transportation of automobiles of a load supporting floor, a plurality of longitudinal slots in said floor, a plurality of grooved axlesupporting blocks having transversely extending slots, a locking plate associated therewith, having transversely elongated slots and means extended there through for .end walls so that said walls can be positioned to form loading and unloading runways.

- 10.; The combination in a railway car for the transportation of automobiles of a plurality of load supporting decks, having side walls for each of said decks, and means for 1 securing said side walls, so that said walls can be positioned as loading and unloading runways for their respective -decks.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto sub 1 scribed my name this 5th day of August, 1927.

GERALD E. TITREN. 

